Запретный лес
XIII. White Magic
Hiscrusadingfury,too,hadsensiblyabated,forpartofhiswrathagainstwitchcrafthadbeenduetohisownaweoftheWoodandhisdisgustatsuchawe.Nowtheplacewasashelterforafriend,andameeting-groundwithoneheloved,andthecloudwhichhadweighedonhimsincehefirstsawitfromtheHillofDeergaveplacetoclearsky.MenmightfrequentMelanudrigillforhideouspurposes,buttheplaceitselfwasinnocent,andhewonderedwithshamehowhecameevertothinkthathonestwoodandwaterandstonecouldhaveintrinsicevil.
Nightly,inthelightmistsofthelateSeptember,whenpinetreesstoodupoutofvapourlikemountains,andthesmellofwoodlandripenesswasnotyettingedwithdecay,DavidandKatrinethreadedtheaislesandclamberedamongthelongbracken,tillapinpointoflightshowedfrombesidearockandwaspresentlyrevealedasKerr’sbivouac.Theywouldsitlatewithhim,listeningtohistalesandgivinghimthenewsoftheglens,whileowlshootedintheboughsandfromthehigherlevelscamethefaintcryingofcurlews.TherewasmuchbusinesstobedonebetweenMarkandCalidon--businessofNicholasHawkshaw’s,whohadbeendulyputtothehorn,andoverwhosegoods,bytheintriguesofMistressGrizel,afriendlycuratorhadbeenappointed,andbusinessofhisownanentthetackofCrossbasket--andKatrinecarrieddailymessagesbyletterandbywordofmouth.Whenhislegwashealedtherewasacertainpolishtobegiventohisappearance,andtheladiesofCalidonwerebusywiththeirneedles.
